On the first day of school last year, Kerry Bentivolio told students in his English class at Fowlerville High School that he had one goal: to make each one of them cry at least once.

Bentivolio, now the Republican candidate in Michigan's 11th District — which includes western Wayne and Oakland counties — also told the students that they were "just a paycheck to me," according to a description of incidents in his personnel file.

Nine months later, school administrators reprimanded him for intimidating and threatening students by grabbing their desks and yelling in their faces or for slamming his fists on their desks.

Similar incidents occurred throughout the school year, according to the written reprimand dated June 7 and signed by assistant principal Myriah Lillie. "Most students reported that they felt threatened and unsure of what you would do," she wrote.

A day later, faced with an aggressive teacher-improvement plan, Bentivolio reached a settlement with the district and resigned.